Midland remembers: The impact of strong role models

By Virginia Florey

Published 11:30 am, Wednesday, April 3, 2013

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Midland remembers: The impact of strong role models

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To have a mother or a grandmother to emulate is a rare blessing in our lives. Sharron Craig Walsh had both a mother and a grandmother for role models when she was growing up. When Sharron talks about her grandmother Julia Publow Craig or her mother Betty Jean Betts Craig, it’s impossible not to hear the love and admiration in her voice. And her life continues to be influenced by the memories she has of them.

Sharron’s grandmother, Julia Publow, was born June 20, 1896 to Frank and Clara (Gilman) Publow in Midland. Basically a farming community, logging was still going on in the outlying areas, especially Averill, Hope and Edenville. It would be almost exactly one year later, May 17, 1897 when a young chemist named Herbert Henry Dow began The Dow Chemical Co. which made bleach from the sea of brine that lay beneath the Village of Midland City.

Frank Publow, Julia’s father, began working at the new chemical plant on May 22, 1897, just a week after the new company was incorporated as The Dow Chemical Company. In a newspaper dated 1927 the headline reads “Dow Co. Pensions 6 Old Employees.” Frank Publow, age 68 in 1927, would be one of six men to be retired with a newly organized retirement plan for Dow employees.

Five men retired along with Frank Publow, to leave their mark as the first retirees of Dow Chemical. Lance Graves was 72 years old and began at Dow July 6, 1897. James Davidson was 76 and began working at Dow in 1908. Eugene Oderkirk was 72 and began working on March 21, 1908. Daniel Whitman, 71, began working at Dow Dec. 12, 1912. And William Thimens was 71. These first retirees from Dow received one half of their regular pay for the rest of their lives.

Julia Publow married John Craig on Nov. 20, 1912 and their marriage produced four children: Dorothy, Duane, Douglas and Delmar.

Never one to sit on the sidelines, Julia managed to raise her four children, maintain a strong marriage and still participate wholeheartedly in civic functions that touched the deepest parts of her life. At a time when women weren’t expected to actively participate in leadership of any kind, Julia Craig concerned herself in activities that reached far beyond the boundaries of her home on Jerome Street in what was then the small town of Midland.

Julia‘s ability to forge ahead on any project gave her the distinction of being the one to call on when needed. People said, “If you want to raise money for something, get Julia Craig.” Active in Blue Star Mothers, both in the local chapter and in the Michigan Blue Star Mothers Association, she was responsible for raising thousands of dollars simply by putting on dinners in the dining room of the Midland Community Center on George Street. Sharron said, “She had us grandchildren serving the food and cleaning up so the dinners were all profit.”

Julia’s children grew up with a strong sense of responsibility to follow their mother’s example in serving others. Two of her sons made law enforcement their lifetime careers. Her third son made The Dow Chemical Co. his career.

Douglas Craig spent his life in law enforcement capping his career being chief of police for the City of Midland When he was new in law enforcement, he took on the job of coordinating the Patrol Squads for the city of Midland and each year all the boys and girls who had been Patrol Squad members enjoyed a huge picnic at Emerson Park.

Sharron said, “ We loved him. He was a golfer and next to being a policeman, golf was the love of his life.” When there were family get-together, we became used to the fact that Douglas wouldn’t be there if there was a golf tournament being played someplace.” Sharron said, “They played the PGA theme song at his funeral.”

Delmar worked in the sheriff’s office in Alma. And after his retirement, he became active in the Boy Scouts until he was in his eighties.

Duane Craig and Betty Jean Betts lived on the same street. Duane delivered newspapers for the Wayne McCandless News Agency in downtown Midland and the Betts family was one of his customers. Eventually, Betty Jean began walking the paper route with Duane and they fell in love. It was a teen age romance that lasted the rest of their lives. Duane and Betty were married Sept. 1, 1933.

Sharron said, “Mom had the three of us in three years. First was Patricia then Daniel and I was the baby.” Duane continued working at the McCandless News Agency after marrying Betty which seemed a natural progression since he had delivered papers for Wayne McCandless while still in school.

After Duane and Betty’s marriage, Julia and John Craig moved out of their home letting the newlyweds live there for six months to give them a head start in married life. By the time Sharron was born the family was living on Jefferson Street near the Circle.

When Duane opted to have a new house built for his family on Jefferson, he was told that he shouldn’t take on such a huge debt of $2,000 when he had a family to raise.

Sharron said, “I remember Mom and Dad pulling us three kids on a sled all the way from the Circle to downtown Midland and back again.”

(This ends Part I of the Sharron Craig Walsh story. Part II will be published in two weeks.)